Thursday, June 19, 2008

Shock Me Like An Electric Eel

1. Last night was finally, FINALLY the Swell Season concert we had gotten tickets for back in March. Worth that wait? That AND MORE. The Swell Season is comprised of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova who were in the movie Once that came out a little over a year ago. The song from it, Falling Slowly, actually won the Oscar for Best Original Song this year at the Academy Awards. Glen is also in another band, The Frames, who Keri introduced me to when she was in Ireland a couple years ago and they've grown into one of mine and hers favorite bands since then, who I've seen twice and her three times. They of course played mostly songs from the soundtrack but then at the end they played, with his original band The Frames backing, Fitzcarraldo, which is easily one of my top five favorite songs ever. THEY PLAYED IT LIVE. I can most definitely die happy now. If you ever get a chance to see them, go, GO without even a second thought because they put on such a great live show. And because I said so. Reason enough right there.

2. The other day, while working with my 50-something co-worker, I overheard her on the phone pricing something for somebody sending a package to Alaska. To preface things here, if you are sending something international, you need a customs form that says exactly what's in the package and the value of it. For international items only. ONLY INTERNATIONAL. And she knows this because she's been here longer than me. So anyways, after she hangs up the phone she goes, "Wait - do you need a customs form to send something to Alaska?" Me: "No....it's one of the 50 states." Maybe it doesn't matter how long she's worked here, she just needs a goddamn geography lesson.

3. Speaking of work, the other day some older dude came in the store and says, "So you're growing your hair out huh?" I had my hair in a messy ponytail with my bangy-thingys swept to the side - how the fuck did he even know how long my hair was. Plus, have I ever seen you before? No? Didn't think so. Then as he was leaving he says, "So the next time I see you, is it gonna be longer or shorter?" Not sure dude, but I'll be sure to call you to give you the big update before I do anything to my hair, promise. Weirdo.

4. Sox - Cubs this weekend, CAN'T WAIT. Too bad I have to listen to the Friday and Saturday games at work, but at least it makes the day go by faster. Even though the Cross-Town Classic games are always explosive, with both teams in first place, I think it adds a little bit more meaning to the games. Who knows, Sox vs. Cubs come October? That's all everybody talks about here, and yeah it would be awesome for us to beat the Northsiders ass in the World Series. FUCKING AWESOME. Let's go White Sox.

5. Speaking of the Sox, I was listening to the game here at work today (they won, 13-8, it was awesome) and right after they won, when I'm on my White Sox High Horse, some dude, who comes in here all the time walks in with his Cubs shirt on. I ask him, you getting excited for the games this weekend? Usually you expect to banter back and forth for a minute over who's the better team, your team blows, we're gonna kick your ass, etc., but this guy just goes, "uhh....not really. This is just a t-shirt my ex-girlfriend got me, I had nothing else to wear." Wow, you are lame. A boy who doesn't like baseball? BLASPHEMY. I'm never asking him anything ever again.

6. Ms. Mac, this is mainly directed at you: I finally finished The Power and the Glory today, and you were totally right, the book did pick up as soon as the priest got on the run. I was almost surprised at how much I liked it and totally did feel all intellectual-ly when I was done. In my mind, any priest would be willing to die for his religion than renounce it, so it almost made him more human to me that he was terrified of how much being shot was going to hurt, cause that's all I would be able to think about too. I liked the Lieutenant character - how he was willing to get the other priest so the whiskey priest could confess and how he gave him the five pesos as he was getting out of jail. You are the best at book recommendations so thank you thank you thank you. When We Were Orphans is my next book - I actually already started it here at work today. When I get a real job and have to work all day instead of read I'm going to cry.

7. Musical obsessions of the past month: Cat Power's Moon Pix and Duffy's Rockferry. I've been all about the singing vaginas lately. Somebody must have burned me the Cat Power cd years and years ago because I found it randomly with a bunch of other burned cds in my closet. I decided to put it on on a whim and was obsessed for a good week or two, especailly with the song Say. Totally not a rocking out cd, it has more of a I-want-to-sit-at-home-and-slit-my-wrists kinda feel but I love it. Then my sister bought Duffy and even though I really didn't think I'd get into it, it's a great cd. Especially the first three, Rockferry, Warwick Avenue and Serious. I thought it would kinda be too boppy or something but good lord does Duffy have a voice. Also the MGMT cd is pretty awesome, it always makes me feel like dancing as I'm getting ready to go out. Which is not a pretty sight kids, not a pretty sight at all.

8. Duffy, Cat Power, the Black Keys, the Raconteurs, Bloc Party AND Radiohead all play the Friday date at Lollapalooza. I swear on the FUCKING BIBLE I am going this year. Not all three days cause the other two days are hit or miss but I am not missing all those bands on Friday. I SWEAR TO GOD.

5 comments:

Re #2: I refer you to this! Also, my comment there about which state Switzerland is in....

#3. Someone did that to me when I was working in a cheque cashing facility hundreds of years ago. They were all smiley nicey like we'd been friends for years. Turns out they were cheque thieves and were trying to distract my attention away from the fact that they'd come in over three days with cheque books with three different names! Remember his face- you might need to point him out in a court face!

#6: Glad you enjoyed it. I was surprised at how readable I found it and how much I enjoyed it too. I think once I've finished the book I'm reading which is taking me for EVER, I'll start When We Were Orphans too. It's been in my bookcase for ages. I think I was saving it for a rainy day, if you know what I mean!

Thanks for the comment on my little blog, Katie. We were actually in Chicago last weekend, and wanted to squeeze in the Sunday Swell Season show to our schedule, but it didn't work out, especially with HASWOE's interview on the Monday morning. I guess that might have been a little greedy in wanting to see them twice, but the show was just so freaking good.

Katers...you mentioned Cat Power and I recently found out about her. Eddie Vedder did guest vocals on one of her albums and I got that one and Really liked it. It was You Are Free....awesome album. Oh and Go Cubs!!!